Persistence
by Simply Kelp
Summary: I think Li would make a good Freedom Fighter," Zuko heard Jet say. He hoped that it was not a sign that Jet would persist in getting him to join their gang. AU, Jet did not see Zuko firebend.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Persistence  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: It was written with Jetko in mind, but I'm not sure how slashy it will be...  
Rating: T to be safe  
Summary: "I think Li would make a good Freedom Fighter," Zuko heard Jet say. He hoped that it was not a sign that Jet would persist in getting him to join their gang. AU, Jet did not see Zuko firebend.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; Mike, and Bryan just let me play with the characters as long as I put them back in _roughly_ the same condition I got them.  
A/N: I've been going through the stuff I've yet to post, which is kind of fun, but also a bit depressing... I have several chapters of this finished, but after that, I will probably go a bit slower with putting them out.

---

Zuko, and Iroh were waiting at the immigration terminal of Ba Sing Se. It was taking forever to get the herds of people through the gates. The public officials, however did not seem to care. Most of them were older; probably some sort of retirement job, Zuko thought vaguely. Uncle, he noticed, had found a bench near a large pillar to sit. Zuko wandered over, and threw himself on the bench. He knew he was being dramatic, but he could not quite bring himself to care. The trip to Ba Sing Se was exhausting, and he wanted to get out of this stupid terminal, even if that meant entering the city.

As Uncle was ordering a cup of tea, Zuko heard footsteps approaching- deliberately- from his left. He turned to see the kid from the ferry- Jet, maybe? The kid flashed him a grin. Zuko cocked an eyebrow disinterestedly, and looked forward.

He felt someone sit next to him. The kid spoke: "Hey Li, can I talk to you for a moment?" Zuko had the impulse to correct the kid. He stopped when he remembered that Li was his new name. Hearing the name, tossed so carelessly by the kid, brought an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. Zuko looked to Iroh, who was currently spewing tea from his mouth, and complaining. If he stayed, Zuko reasoned, he would probably have to sit through one of Uncle's long-winded tea stories. The kid certainly could not be worse than that. A bit reluctantly, Zuko nodded, and followed the kid a few feet away.

"You and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. You want to join the Freedom Fighters?" the kid asked. He smiled expectantly. Zuko got the impression that the kid did not often hear the word 'no.'

"Thanks," Zuko began, "but I don't think you guys would want me in your group." Zuko resisted the urge to smirk at his understatement, and the look of shock, and petulance that flashed over the kid's features.

The kid quickly rearranged his features into a charming smile. "I'm asking, right?" he asked; his voice betrayed his annoyance.

Zuko shrugged. "I guess."

The kid's smile grew wider. Zuko wondered vaguely how it was possible to show all of his teeth while smiling. The kid looked slightly deranged, but Zuko was sure he was trying more for roguishly charming. He wondered if the smile actually worked on others. "Come on, we made a great team looting that captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees. So, what do you say?" the kid asked.

"No."

The kid shrugged in an attempt to look nonchalant. "Have it your way," he said. Zuko could hear a hint of surprise in his voice.

As Zuko turned to leave, the heard the two other kids run up to their leader. The girl- he thought her name might be Smellerbee- called the kid Jet. "I think Li would make a good Freedom Fighter," Zuko heard Jet say. He hoped that it was not a sign that Jet would persist in getting him to join their gang.

When Zuko rejoined Uncle, he noticed that he was savouring a steaming hot cup of tea. Had he not just a moment ago complained that the tea was cold? He could not have fire bended; that would be stupid. Zuko quickly knocked the cup of tea from Uncle's hands, and looked- as furtively as he could in his panicked state- to see if anyone had noticed. Thankfully, no one was looking at them.

"What are you doing fire bending your tea?" Zuko asked between clenched teeth. "For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move."

Iroh looked sadly down at the puddle of tea on the ground. "I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but-" at this point, he sniffled, "that's so sad." Zuko rolled his eyes.

It took twenty more minutes for their train to arrive. By this time, Zuko was still annoyed, and very tired. He could not remember much about the train ride. They were seated next to a young couple with a baby, he remembered, because Uncle spent most of the time cooing over the little creature.

After an hour, or so of wandering around, they were able to find an apartment within their price range. It was cramped, and dingy, but, Uncle had said happily, at least they had a roof over their heads.

Zuko stifled a yawn. "You look tired nephew. Perhaps you should get some rest," Uncle told him. Too tired to argue, Zuko nodded. He set up a mat in the far corner- there was only one room-, and quickly fell asleep.

---

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this! I would love to hear what you thought; I'll update once I get a review- please humour me.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Persistence  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: It was written with Jetko in mind, but I'm not sure how slashy it will be...  
Rating: T to be safe  
Summary: "I think Li would make a good Freedom Fighter," Zuko heard Jet say. He hoped that it was not a sign that Jet would persist in getting him to join their gang. AU, Jet did not see Zuko firebend.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; Mike, and Bryan just let me play with the characters as long as I put them back in _roughly_ the same condition I got them.  
A/N: Thanks to Katanagirl16, this is coming out a lot earlier than I expected. Ch.3 will take a bit longer as I want to make a few changes to it.

---

After Jet parted with Li, he kept an eye on the kid. He, Smellerbee, and Longshot coincidentally got on the same train as Li, and his Uncle. He watched, disinterestedly, as people left at their respective stops. After a few stops- five to be precise-, Li, and Mushi- was that the old man's name?- left the train, and began walking through town. Jet, and the others left soon after.

They rented an apartment with money that they had liberated from the Fire Nation soldiers; they were going straight now, but why waste the money? The apartment was adequate; he had stayed in much worse conditions in the woods. Smellerbee decided that she was tired, so she set up her bed, and took a nap.

While she was sleeping, Jet decided to go exploring. "I'm going to go look around. You want to come, Longshot?" he asked the other boy. Longshot gave him a meaningful look, and shook his head. Jet shrugged. "Fine with me." Part of him was glad; he had planned to look for Li. He did not want to have to explain that.

It was Saturday. Jet assumed it must be market day; there were booths of food, and useless junk set up everywhere. Large groups of people were milling around, and shouting to be heard over the din. Jet charmed a lady into giving him a deal on several pears; Longshot liked them. Putting the fruit in his bag, he asked the lady, "I'm looking for my friends; have you seen a young guy with a scar on his face, and an old man?" She had not.

Jet continued on down the street. He would find them eventually. After over an hour of searching, Jet, on an impulse, looked into the nearest tea shop. The old man was there, but Li was nowhere to be seen. The old man was talking to the owner, while enjoying a cup of tea.

Jet cautiously entered, and sat down within earshot of them. "I can't believe my luck," the owner said, "my last server just up, and left a week ago. I've been running the shop by myself ever since. I would love for you, and your nephew to work for me. Can you start tomorrow?"

So, they were going to work at the tea shop. Jet had not taken time to notice the name when he entered; he would have to remember to look as he left. When the old man had finished talking, Jet stood to leave. The owner offered him some tea, but Jet told him that he was not thirsty. It was a lie. He was actually really thirsty, but he wanted to follow the old man to see where they lived.

The rest of Jet's evening was spent tailing the old man. He spent an hour in a floral shop, at least twenty minutes examining grapefruits, and several hours playing Pai Sho. Just when Jet was contemplating whether he should forget it, and return home before he got lost, the old man stopped at an apartment building, and went inside. It was a block away from the tea shop, and six from where the gang was staying.

When Jet returned home, he could hear Smellerbee, and Longshot talking- or rather, Smellerbee talking, and Longshot listening (Longshot was an excellent listener). He wondered if the conversation was personal. Should he wait until they finish? He stopped when he heard his name.

"- Jet. You know how obsessive he can get," Smellerbee was saying. He was not obsessive. He was many things: passionate, dedicated, probably zealous even, but he was not obsessive. "We don't even know anything about this Li kid."

Jet opened the door, smiling as usual. "Hey guys. Just went for a walk," he said casually. He dug through his bag until he found the pears he had bought earlier, tossing one to both Longshot, and Smellerbee. "Picked that up for you, Longshot." Longshot smiled appreciatively. "Ba Sing Se looks promising," Jet continued; he was not sure who exactly he was talking to now. Glancing out the window, he could just barely see the tea shop, and, behind that, a building that he thought must be Li's apartment. Tomorrow he would have to pay the tea shop a visit.

---

Thank you all for reading! I would love to hear from you.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Persistence  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: It was written with Jetko in mind, but I'm not sure how slashy it will be...  
Rating: T to be safe  
Summary: "I think Li would make a good Freedom Fighter," Zuko heard Jet say. He hoped that it was not a sign that Jet would persist in getting him to join their gang. AU, Jet did not see Zuko firebend.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; Mike, and Bryan just let me play with the characters as long as I put them back in _roughly_ the same condition I got them.  
A/N: I apologise for how short these are; my reasoning is that if I write shorter chapters, I'll (hopefully) post more often. I'm trying to work on making my dialogue better; it's kind of short.

---

"Wake up, Zuko," came Uncle's voice. Zuko cracked his eyes open; the sun was rising through the window. Had he really slept all evening, and night? Zuko sat up, and ran a hand through his hair. "I found us jobs starting this afternoon, and we must do a bit of shopping beforehand." Uncle continued pressing a plate of food at him. Zuko reluctantly took the plate, and began eating. He was not very hungry. He felt like was getting sick; maybe it was the city.

"Where are we working?" Zuko finally asked, after several minutes of silence. He did not especially care, but figured that Uncle would want to talk about it.

He was right. "O, there is a little tea shop a block over. I talked to the owner; apparently, his latest…" Zuko tuned the following rambles out. He stared out the window. The sun was shining; he should feel refreshed, invigorated, _something_, but all he felt was bored.

After breakfast, Uncle led him up, and down the streets looking in every shop. They bought potted flowers, dishes, decorations, and a number of things that no one would ever need. Zuko was stuck carrying most of the things back to the apartment- he made a conscious effort not to call it 'home,' because he did not want to get comfortable here.

Uncle spent the rest of the morning happily decorating the apartment. Zuko would never admit it, but the place did look less gloomy, and- dare he say it?- kind of nice. Uncle was humming loudly as he organised the silverware; Zuko thought that he should probably help, but he did not.

Afternoon found Zuko, and Uncle working at the tea shop. It, like everything else in the lower ring, was cramped, and drab. Uncle made tea, while Zuko was in charge of serving, and, when he got a chance, washing dishes. The owner did nothing, which angered Zuko. His feet hurt, and he had a headache from dealing with stupid customers.

On the subject of stupid customers, Zuko noticed that Jet kid had just walked in. He had a smug look on his face as he swaggered through the door. When Jet saw Zuko glaring at him, he smiled, and winked. Zuko turned his back to Jet, and began offering the nearest customer a refill.

Zuko heard Jet approaching from behind. "Hey, Li," he said.

Zuko didn't bother to turn around. "What are you doing here?" he asked curtly.

Jet chuckled, and Zuko could feel his grin. "Do you treat all of your customers like that, Li?"

"What would you like?" Zuko asked slowly; he really did not have time to deal with this kid. The dishes were piling up in the back room.

"What do _you_ like?" Jet asked; had either of them been a girl, Zuko would have thought Jet's tone was almost flirtatious. But that was just stupid.

Zuko turned to face Jet; he shrugged. "Uncle likes jasmine."

Jet frowned, which made Zuko inwardly smirk. If he looked past the kid's arrogance, it was actually a bit entertaining to bother him. "I asked what you like."

"I'm not overly fond of tea."

"Mm… I'll take jasmine then." Jet threw himself into a chair, looking especially nonchalant. Zuko could not help noticing that several of the young girls in the corner were giggling quite loudly at this.

"Very well." Zuko turned to leave, but stopped when he heard Jet speak again.

"Hey Mushi, would you mind if Li took a break for a minute?" Zuko looked at Jet, who gave him another wink. How could someone be so impossibly annoying?

Uncle laughed. "Certainly," he said affably.

Zuko shot Jet a dirty look; Jet smirked. When Zuko turned to face Uncle, however, he was smiling faintly. "Thank you, Uncle, but I don't think that I can afford a break right now; there is so much work to do," he said.

Uncle smiled; it was almost as if he knew what was going through Zuko's mind. "You work too hard, nephew," he advised. "You must learn to stop, and smell the flowers- or in this case, drink tea." Uncle let out a great belly laugh, apparently amused by his own witticism.

Zuko did not respond, but rather turned, and walked to the back room to get Jet's tea. He heard the kid call after him: "Get something for yourself as well." Zuko wondered if Agni hated him.

---

Thank you all for reading!!! I hope to get Ch. 4 out soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Persistence  
Author: Simply Kelp  
Pairing: It was written with Jetko in mind, but I'm not sure how slashy it will be...  
Rating: T to be safe  
Summary: "I think Li would make a good Freedom Fighter," Zuko heard Jet say. He hoped that it was not a sign that Jet would persist in getting him to join their gang. AU, Jet did not see Zuko firebend.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar; Mike, and Bryan just let me play with the characters as long as I put them back in _roughly_ the same condition I got them.  
A/N: Sorry that it took such a long time to write this. I had to work all weekend, and then spent all of my free time yesterday doing my civic duty, and voting (if you're of age, I hope you did too!) it's a bit depressing, but I can't say defeat was unexpected. I'm hoping Nader will run again in 2012; you know what they say: fifth times the charm!  
A/N2: This chapter came about because I'm having a very hard time writing in Jet's perspective. It's also rather hard to write 'conversations' with Longshot…

---

When Smellerbee woke the next morning, Longshot was reading, and Jet was nowhere to be found. She stood stiffly, and walked to the window. It looked like it was nearly afternoon; she ought not have napped when they first got to the apartment yesterday. It had taken forever for her to fall asleep last night. (She noted, only vaguely interested, that Jet seemed to be having trouble sleeping as well.)

"Do you know where Jet is?" Smellerbee finally asked Longshot as she turned to face him.

He handed her a note. In Jet's messy scrawl, it said:

__

Went to find us work; be back soon.

-Jet

"Was he gone when you got up?" she asked, only partly interested in the answer. She wondered what kind of jobs Jet would get them.

Longshot nodded. He slipped a scrap of paper into his book, and looked out the window.

"I'm hungry, do you want to get lunch while Jet's out?" Smellerbee asked, digging through Jet's bag for the money bag. She withdrew it, and took a small handful of coins.

Once Smellerbee dressed, her, and Longshot left the apartment, and made their way into the city. They stopped at a ramen stand for lunch. Smellerbee was unusually quiet as they ate. The city was nice; it reminded her of home. Before the Fire Nation destroyed it, but she tried not to think about that.

"Longhot," she said finally. He fixed her with a telling look. "Do…" Smellebee hesitated. Should she say it? "Do you thi- is that Jet?" she asked. Longshot followed her line of vision to find Jet entering a store. "He's going into a teashop," Smellerbee continued. "He wouldn't look for a job there: Jet hates tea."

Longshot gave Smellerbee a look.

"Yeah, let's see if we can get a look inside," Smellerbee said. She waited long enough for Jet to clear the front of the shop, and ran across the street. Longshot followed her. When they reached the teashop, both peeked cautiously inside. "Is that the old man from the ferry?" Smellerbee asked, pointing to an old man chatting with some giggling women.

Longshot nodded, and pointed in the opposite direction. Smellerbee followed his gaze.

"There's Jet," she whispered. She wasn't quite sure why she was whispering; Jet couldn't hear her from that far away. He was sitting at a table looking around the room. Smellerbee, and Longshot had to quickly get out of the doorway as his gaze drifted to the doorway.

Smellerbee carefully peeked back around the door. She turned quickly to face Longshot. "It's that kid from the ferry: Li." she told him. "He's sitting with Jet (he doesn't look too happy about that, actually…)"

She went back to the doorway, and watched the two boys. Jet was talking animatedly; Li was staring straight ahead. Why were boys so stupid? "Do you think he's just stupid, or does he really think he can convince Li to join?"

She looked back at Longshot, and frowned at the look he was giving her. "Fine!" she whispered venomously. "Take his side; you always do!"

Longshot frowned, and cast his eyes downward.

Smellerbee smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I know you didn't mean it like that."

After several moments of watching Jet try to get Li's attention, Smellerbee, and Longshot decided to return home. Jet returned shortly after. He was cranky, and wouldn't respond when Smellerbee asked if they were employed. He just sulked behind Longshot's book.

---

Again, I'm sorry this was so late, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. If Jet will just _behave,_ then the next chapter should be out faster than this one.


	5. AN

Just to let you know, I have every intention of finishing this. I feel really bad that I've let it just hang here for so long! I've been having lot of trouble writing it, though. I have the late-middle, and ending written, it's just _getting there_ that's the problem. I'm taking less classes this semester, though, so hopefully that will give me more time to puzzle this out.

I hope you will be able to forgive me!

3Kelp


End file.
